Every now and again amidst the plethora of e-mails we so happily receive each day, we like to take a moment to trawl through the search engines in a bid to find some inspiring images of the most beautiful pieces by the worlds top designers.
Today, we just so happened to type in Jean Louis Scherrer's name and was awe struck to find some incredible shots from collections past.
The Chambre de la Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne alumnus and former assistant to Monsieur Dior, the designer is unabashedly renowned for elegance and high quality pieces that were determinedly not driven by trend.
This year's Met Gala may have been a night dedicated to the world of the late Alexander McQueen and his unmistakable talent, but what we find odd was Gucci Group's Stella McCartney coup. After all, we were thinking the event would shine a glorious light on McQueen's career & legacy. But with only a handful of red-carpet goers clad in his namesake designs, the celebratory spirit we were hoping for felt like watching a candle that will never be lit. Besides the boatload of guests in McCartney, even more numbing was the number of those in labels that tend to mimic McQueen's wizardry. That being said, our hand's down favorite of the night was Ashley Olsen in a simple yet coquettish vintage Christian Dior Haute Couture dress, once again making a strong case for minimal elegance.
Ashley Olsen in vintage Christian Dior Haute Couture, above.
One must also remember that while Alexander McQueen was a genius in the world of women's wear, he was also a notable figure in men's fashion. It's a shame that only Vogue's forever-dapper Hamish Bowles took it upon himself to demonstrate McQueen's vision for men as well.
Vogue's Hamish Bowles, in Alexander McQueen, above.
Vogue's Andrea Leon Talley, in Balenciaga , above.
Whatever he may have said in whatever context, our thoughts go out to the legendary genius that is John Galliano through these turbulent times. Neither Christian Dior nor the world of fashion at large could ever be the same without his incomparable vision and dedication to pushing the limits of craftsmanship.
Just as everyone's on the hunt for Celine inspired minimal jewelry comes our latest Accessory of the Week, this iconic Christian Dior gold African Masai inspired stacked bangle choker. It adds subtle impact to any look while its juxtaposition of old-world tribal heritage and refined, citified chic lend it an unfussy charm for superior wearability.
Haute Couture has been a tireless subject of debate while many like to continually point out it's weak sales across the board and diminishing relevance in society. While that may be the case, wasn't it always? Isn't couture about that unattainable and highly elusive luxury item we all like to dream of having? Hasn't globalism made "luxury" too readily attainable?
While the nine designers showing for Fall 2010 clearly understand the craft beautifully, there were four contributions whose focus & edit were so precise, we wanted to take a moment and applaud them. These designers respectively pay homage to the past with their own distinctive signatures while moving things forward with the kind of youthful gusto couture could thrive on. John Galliano at Christian Dior, Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier & Maria Grazia Chiuri & Pier Paolo Piccioli at Valentino seem determined to energize Haute Couture with troves of tasty options. While at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld oddly placed heavy, orthodox, old-world & stuffy misconceptions of couture's past on the runway. Reverse psychology? Or is it simply sticking to your guns & your clientele?
Here's a look at Fall 2010's Haute Couture fab four, destined to inspire Vnyc's future buys:
Jean Paul Gaultier Gaultier delivered a fanciful Parisian collection that evoked the wit, luxury, proportion and sex-appeal of two of France's most provocative 90's era legends, Thierry Mugler & Claude Montana.
Christian Dior At Dior, Galliano hit his stride with decadent takes on his admiration for some of couture's best, from Poiret to Worth, all in irresistible colorways that were as bodacious as his silhouettes. Valentino While at Valentino, Chiuri & Piccioli took the house's heritage of princess dressing into today's need for clean while addressing couture's precarious state by placing a sculpted cage over one of their precious exits.
Givenchy Five years later Tisci has almost nothing left to prove at Givenchy. Here, his love of religious Catholic laces combined with a romantic penchant for gothic symbolism made for a breathtaking argument on the exclusivity of beauty.
From the 80's comes this classic CHRISTIAN DIOR bottle green wide leather belt that hits all of today's trends dead-on with its somber colorway and waist-cinching construction. After all, everyone needs a wide belt in their wardrobe to play with proportions and ultimately highlight the waist. And it's rather refreshing that this one is not black.
We have to admit that while we honestly may not know too much about actress Lake Bell's work, we do admire her style and look. She's a New york City girl through & through and it always shows on the red carpet with her slick, strict, clean confident style that's always a bit body-con with a stylized flourish. We also love her strong brows, something we are always attracted to! Weather she's clad in our favorites from Balmain, Balenciaga, Valli, or Dior, she's always a shining example of a VagaBond Nyc kind of girl.
From CHRISTIAN DIOR by John Galliano comes this sexy lightweight pique bomber jacket that is perfectly suited to become one fantastically glamorous fall/spring jacket. It not only hits all of today's biggest trends from tie-dye, to Afro prints to new rave, but it also gives the wearer an instant sense of rebellious chicness.
Christian Dior Bleached Zebra Bomber Jacket-$212 Sorry this item has been SOLD
